Server: Netscape-Commerce/1.12
Date: Tuesday, 26-Nov-96 00:06:26 GMT
Last-modified: Monday, 08-Jul-96 19:10:55 GMT
Content-length: 4060
Content-type: text/html


<HTML>


<TITLE>SUPERCOMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP</TITLE>

<center>
<!WA0><A HREF="http://theory.lcs.mit.edu/supertech.html"><!WA1><IMG SRC=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/sct/sctline.gif></a>
</center>
<p>
<center>
<table border>
<tr>
	<td><!WA2><img src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/sct/cel.gif></td>
	<td width=100 rowspan=2><br></td>
	<td><!WA3><img src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/sct/av.gif></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <!WA4><A HREF="http://theory.lcs.mit.edu/~cel"><address><b>Charles E. Leiserson</b></a>,<br>Professor of Computer <br>Science and Engineering</address>
	</td>
<td><!WA5><a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/hq/av.html"><address><b>Albert Vezza</b></a>,<br>Senior Research Scientist, <br>Associate Director, LCS</address></td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>

<body>
<p>
Supercomputing Technologies, or SuperTech, is a vertically
integrated alliance of several LCS groups.  SuperTech's
goal is to master all aspects of high-performance computing
(including parallel and distributed processing) so that
modern hardware technology can be translated into
efficient, easy-to-use computing systems. Organized as a
cross-section of LCS, SuperTech represents a cooperative
effort designed to address the problems of multiscale
computing.
<p>
To achieve our mission, we are studying machine
architecture, language design, parallel-computing theory,
numerical analysis, operating system design, and
computational science. Facilities include a 128-node
Connection Machine CM-5 parallel supercomputer, several
Silicon Graphics high-performance graphics workstations,
and networks of workstations.
<p>
SuperTech is driven in part by the fact that today's
computer architect can select from a range of technology
options, including cost, performance, reliability, and
power.  The variety of options will grow even larger within
the next decade with the introduction of gigabit networks,
lightweight batteries, multichip modules, and optical
switches. As a result, we will soon see a diverse set of
multiscale computing environments including wireless
computers, high-performance PCs, multiprocessor
workstations, clusters of distributed workstations,
local-area supercomputers, and massively parallel
supercomputers that cover a wide range of performance
parameters.
<p>
This vision of multiscale computing, unfortunately,
conflicts with an even more powerful force: software
inertia.  Existing software systems threaten multiscale
computing, since they sanction only a few, well-established
computing environments. Each new environment will require
massive custom programming to retrofit the standard
software in its attempts to unify multiscale computing as
users will surely demand through common languages,
operating systems, network protocols, and applications.
<p>
We cope with these limitations via common architectural and
software mechanisms designed to unify the diverse
multiscale computing environments and encourage niche
markets to flourish. This task requires hardware and
software design, the formulation of theoretical
foundations, and applications development.
<p>
SuperTech cooperates closely with <!WA6><A HREF="http://www.cm5.lcs.mit.edu/">Project SCOUT</a>, an LCS-led
consortium designed to promote interaction between computer
and computational scientists. SCOUT members include
interdisciplinary scientists from MIT, <!WA7><A HREF="http://web.bu.edu/">Boston University</a>,
and <!WA8><A HREF="http://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard</a>. MIT participants include scientists,
engineers, and mathematicians from the Departments of
<!WA9><A HREF="http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena/org/p/physics/www/physics.html">Physics</a>, <!WA10><A HREF="http://www-eecs.mit.edu/">Electrical Engineering and Computer Science</a>,
<!WA11><A HREF="http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena/org/m/mathdept/www/">Mathematics</a>, and <!WA12><A HREF="http://www-eaps.mit.edu">Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences</a>. It
is under SCOUT's auspices that SuperTech hosts such
facilities as the Connection Machine CM-5.

</BODY>
<p>
<!WA13><a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/contents.html"><!WA14><img align=left src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/icons/contents_motif.gif></a>
<!WA15><a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/spd/spd.html"><!WA16><img align=left src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/icons/previous_group_motif.gif></a>
<!WA17><a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/toc/theory.html"><!WA18><img align=left src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/icons/next_group_motif.gif></a>
</HTML>
